Experienced academics in unknown territory: exploring the use of online synchronous technology in a teacher education program

Abstract

As the number of online courses available from tertiary institutions increases, so does the demand for academics to utilize flexible approaches to learning opportunities. Many tertiary institutions in Australia cater to multi-location learners in various ways and commonly, experts in the field of distance learning and trained technological teams work together to service these learners. There are a growing number of distance learners and a constant increase in the variety of educational software employed by institutions. In this study academics become participants and engage in a focus group to discuss their experiences and thoughts of online learning. The participants then complete six hours of training and create a presentation using the platform before a concluding focus group takes place. How do academics feel about employing synchronous technologies? How will it change their teaching approach? What benefits does it bring?